Chapter 34: Tone It Down
She hadn't ridden in Song Xu's car for days.
As soon as she got in, she noticed an unfamiliar perfume.
It was a rich, feminine fragrance with a slightly sweet base note; it smelled like water-logged roses—not particularly refreshing but very sophisticated.
It was completely different from the dry, subtle scent usually lingering in his car.
Wen Bairan immediately guessed who it belonged to.
During Xiang Sun’s time in Shenjiang, he often invited Song Xu to gatherings, along with Zhong Yu and a few familiar business partners. Xinyi and Dayun were already collaborators, and with Xiang Sun, Zhong Yu, and Song Xu all being alumni, their relationship was even closer.
Qiao Yi had accompanied Song Xu to one of these events and came back saying she had spent the whole time drafting contracts with Xiang Sun’s assistant. Once the drafts were done, the executives from both sides glanced them over, found no issues, and signed off—easier than buying groceries.
No wonder the company’s performance had doubled in the three months since Song Xu joined the branch. The second half of the year would be smooth sailing.
She also mentioned that after the event, she called a designated driver to take them back to the hotel. Seeing Zhong Yu was really drunk, Song Xu helped her out, and they got into the same car!
“They’re definitely together,” Qiao Yi said with certainty.
Wen Bairan wasn’t entirely surprised by this outcome, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.
Song Xu had previously acted indifferent toward Zhong Yu, and Zhong Yu, being no pushover, had immediately turned the tables by giving him a hard time with Xinyi. Yet, barely ten days later, they were already meeting as if by fate, laughing away their past grievances?
But this was very much in line with Song Xu’s style.
As he’d said, in this world, there were only things he wanted to do and things he didn’t. Yesterday, he hadn’t wanted anything to do with Zhong Yu, so no matter how hard she tried, he ignored her. Today, if he wanted to be with her, whatever she’d done before no longer mattered.
Who could be more carefree and unrestrained than him, with such a broad-minded approach to life?
Meanwhile, she had been overthinking things, assuming his recent aloofness was because he was still upset about that night.
In reality, he was just honoring their previous agreement: once he established a stable relationship with Zhong Yu, the nights belonging to Wen Bairan would come to an end.
The car felt stifling.
The air conditioner blew directly in her face, and the overpowering smell of perfume made it hard to breathe.
Wen Bairan rolled down the window slightly, letting in the night breeze carrying a hint of autumn chill.
She took a few deep breaths, her frustration eased a bit, and pointed to an intersection ahead. "Drop me off there. You can go pick up President Zhong. I’ll take a taxi."
Today was Xiang Sun’s farewell gathering, and there was no way Zhong Yu wouldn’t attend.
Wen Bairan still hadn’t forgotten the embarrassment she had suffered in front of her that day.
She didn’t want to endure an awkward car ride with the three of them making forced conversation, nor did she want to watch Zhong Yu flirt cheerfully with Song Xu.
Just then, the traffic light ahead turned from green to yellow.
The countdown showed only five seconds left.
Wen Bairan prepared to unbuckle her seatbelt, ready to get out as soon as the car stopped.
But as the timer hit three, Song Xu suddenly accelerated through the intersection.
The sudden surge in speed made her heart skip a beat. Instinctively, she gripped the seatbelt across her chest, her body pressed against the seat by an invisible force, only her head able to move.
Frowning, she sternly reminded him, "President Song, you’re speeding!"
Song Xu’s eyes remained fixed ahead, his profile cold and icy. He seemed displeased, though it was unclear why.
After crossing the intersection, the car gradually slowed down.
He still didn’t say a word.
Uncertain what had set him off, Wen Bairan hesitated to unbuckle her seatbelt again. As she turned away, she heard an almost imperceptible scoff from beside her, as if mocking her timidity.
How infuriating!
She fell silent too.
Both seemed to be sulking, and the car descended into dead silence.
They arrived directly at the hotel.
With the holiday approaching, there was a long line of cars at the entrance.
Ahead, vehicles crawled along the winding driveway.
Wen Bairan glanced out the window and noticed a dark green Continental that looked familiar.
Once the car came to a stop, the valet opened the rear door, and a slender man stepped out.
Elegant and gentle-faced.
The signature long-sleeved shirt and gold-rimmed glasses were unmistakable. It was none other than Li Yuan.
He was here too.
And Xiang Sun personally came out to greet him.
The two shook hands warmly at the hotel entrance. While chatting, Xiang Sun noticed Song Xu’s car approaching and said something to Li Yuan, prompting both to look over.
"Song Xu!"
The silver-gray Volvo slowly came to a stop.
As she stepped out of the car, Wen Bairan clearly saw a flicker of surprise on Li Yuan’s face.
Seeing he was about to greet her, she discreetly pressed a hand under her backpack, signaling him not to say anything.
Her current identity was just a low-level employee at a foreign company, worlds apart from someone of his stature.
She didn’t want anyone to know they were acquainted, much less have to explain it to Song Xu.
It was better to pretend to be strangers.
Li Yuan’s glasses had slipped slightly down his nose. He smiled, gently pushing them back up, silently acknowledging and respecting her wish.
Just then, Song Xu rounded the front of the car.
Wen Bairan glanced at him guiltily.
"Song Xu, perfect timing. This is Li Yuan, vice president of Lianjie Daily Chemicals—the one I told you about." Xiang Sun, a natural social butterfly, grew more animated in crowds, especially when talking about Li Yuan, whom he admired greatly. "You’re surely familiar with Lianjie’s case—it was just a couple of years ago. Oh, but you were abroad then, so you might not know the details. Let me tell you..."
"President Li, I’ve long heard of your reputation."
Xiang Sun couldn't stop once he started talking, and Song Xu simply walked right by him.
Li Yuan shook his hand as well.
"President Song, you're too kind. I'm no longer vice president now; just call me Li Yuan."
"You're a senior to me; no courtesy is excessive," Song Xu said lightly.
Wen Bairan knew that Li Yuan was friendly and warm, but Song Xu had been scowling the whole way here; yet now, he also gave off a feeling like a breath of fresh air.
Right, aside from being standoffish at the company, he had never faltered in social settings.
Not fawning, not enthusiastic, not even proactive.
But he was flawlessly at ease, without a single flaw to pick.
Hmm, it was strange. Although he and Li Yuan didn't look alike and were of different types, they somehow gave the impression of being the same kind of person.
Elites with high intelligence and first-rate capabilities. Successful in their careers. Their control over life seemed abnormally precise. The precious quality of composure seemed tailor-made for them.
In just two sentences, she could already see Li Yuan's admiration for Song Xu in his eyes.
This surprised her greatly.
Perhaps because she had preconceived ideas about Song Xu based on that night, Wen Bairan had somewhat seen him through colored glasses, magnifying his daytime coldness and severity, overlooking that it was merely a work style focused on efficiency.
It was precisely because his foundation was strong and stable that he could manage everything effortlessly. Naturally, there was no need to waste words or curry favor with anyone.
The group had been standing at the entrance talking, and it wasn’t until Xiang Sun received an urging call from the private room that he finally remembered they were here to eat.
"Let's go, let's go, let's not talk here anymore. Let’s head in first." He led Li Yuan forward.
Song Xu lagged half a step behind, and Wen Bairan immediately followed suit.
As if intentionally waiting for her, when they walked side by side, a low voice murmured down from above her head. "Tone it down a little."
Wen Bairan: "?"
What?
She looked up.
Song Xu was half a head taller than her. From this angle, the narrow, dark shadows at the corners of his eyes were dazzlingly intense.
She stared as his lips parted and closed, and suddenly a buzz filled her ears, like the excessive ear pressure during a plane’s takeoff. After a sense of weightlessness, the sound sharpened into a whine before violently fluctuating, and all the noises rushed back.
His face showed no flaw whatsoever, the teasing slipping from his lips into his throat—
"I know it’s been six days since we last did it."
"But you’re staring too intently; it’s hard for me to focus."
—Ding
The elevator ahead arrived.
Seeing that Song Xu wasn’t following, Xiang Sun turned back and urged them to hurry: "Song, the elevator’s here."
Li Yuan glanced back and happened to see Wen Bairan lower her head. Beside her, Song Xu appeared unruffled, making her unnatural expression seem even more like she was trying to hide something.
He smiled faintly.
The transparent lenses of his glasses reflected white light under the lamps, just masking the look in his eyes.
/
The private room upstairs was already full.
At this table today, everyone was either a CEO or a board member, so Wen Bairan’s seat was naturally at the end, but Li Yuan insisted on joining her there too.
Once he did, Xiang Sun naturally switched seats too.
Song Xu sat next to him, and then came Zhong Yu.
Zhong Yu was quite taken aback to see Wen Bairan.
Probably never expected she’d dare to show up, nor that Song Xu would bring her.
Didn’t she cause enough trouble at Zhongzhan that day?
They were too far apart to talk for now, and in response to Zhong Yu’s pointed look, Wen Bairan just smiled and said, "President Zhong."
For a moment, this inconspicuous end seat suddenly became the lively head of the table, with everyone glancing over whenever they spoke.
Wen Bairan had originally just wanted to quietly enjoy her meal, but that was impossible now. She shot a subtle, resentful look at Li Yuan, who gave her an apologetic expression.
The food was soon served, and everyone chatted while eating, the atmosphere quite pleasant.
After listening for a while, Wen Bairan realized this didn’t seem to be a farewell party; their conversations, between the lines, were all about a new company.
The lead was Xiang Sun.
It was still in healthcare but leaned more toward R&D and application, with technical support from several university professors. And they were physics professors.
Wen Bairan instinctively looked at Song Xu diagonally across from her.
He was making small talk with Xiang Sun, his right arm resting on the back of the chair, long legs crossed, his body facing this direction. The red wine glass in his hand became a work of art, the deep purple liquid swirling gently. When he raised his hand, his gaze swept over, the offhandedness betraying an ambition and disdain that stunned Wen Bairan.
A bold thought flashed through her mind.
The private room was brightly lit, the crystal chandelier refracting light that made the dishes and glasses glaringly bright.
Unable to believe he was thinking this way, Wen Bairan’s emotions wavered along with her gaze.
"What’s wrong?"
Li Yuan asked beside her.
She secretly dug her nails into her palm until the pain snapped her back to reality. She smiled at him and said, "It’s nothing, I’m going to the restroom." With that, she stood up, left her napkin on the seat, and turned to leave.
The women’s restroom at the end of the hallway was quiet, the water rushing noisily from the faucet.
Wen Bairan washed her face, only remembering afterward that she was wearing makeup.
She dabbed her face with a tissue; luckily, her makeup was light, though she had rubbed off part of her eyebrows.
She checked herself in the mirror and decided it wasn’t worth fixing.
Actually, there was a restroom in the private room, but she just wanted to get some air.
Zhong Yu’s wariness of her had increased by two levels compared to half a month ago, and throughout the evening, she kept shooting warning looks, urging her to behave and just eat.
As God is my witness, she really was just eating properly.
She had only glanced at Song Xu just now.
If that counts as being disruptive, then she had no choice but to leave.
She did want to leave.
The scene tonight was a bit chaotic; Xiang Sun was a whole other story.
She had always thought he was a polite gentleman, but it turned out he was a chatterbox—he talked the most the entire evening.
The other partners Qiao Yi mentioned were actually investors. More importantly, why was Li Yuan here too?
From what Xiang Sun implied, he wanted to invite him to be their consultant.
No wonder Li Yuan said that the project he gave to Zhou Lin was partly coincidental and partly intentional. It was probably something Xiang Sun specifically offered to curry favor with him.
But why would he do that?
He clearly knew they had already broken up. What good would it do him to keep Zhou Lin involved, or potentially involved in the future?
That day, he even told her to consider him. How was she supposed to consider that?
Before Li Yuan went abroad, he told her he had a stable girlfriend overseas. Because it was a long-distance relationship, they maintained a very chaste relationship. He had shown her the letters he exchanged with that woman—sweet and passionate.
Yes, letters.
Even in this day and age, they still maintained the habit of writing letters.
She had always thought this was the peak old-school romance of brainy tech guys. She assumed Li Yuan had returned this time to marry that woman, but Jiang Shijin said he didn’t have a girlfriend now. So, had they broken up?
The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. She needed to find a chance to ask him.
Maybe after tonight, she could ask him to give her a ride home and ask on the way.
Yes, that could work.
She turned the faucet back on. Wen Bairan was about to bend over when suddenly another person appeared in the mirror.
The man’s eyes were shadowed and silent, standing behind her at some unknown time.
The overhead light cast a cold, bloodless pallor on his face, but his lips were red, like Dracula in *Bram Stoker's Dracula*. Beneath his lowered brow bone lurked a raw desire, as if he were ready to tear her throat out at any moment.
"You—"
Wen Bairan was so frightened she nearly screamed, but the man quickly covered her mouth from behind. His long arm wrapped around her slender waist as he eagerly pressed heated kisses that tasted like wine on her, pulling her forcefully into an unoccupied stall.
Bang.
Her back hit the door with a muffled thud.
Wen Bairan winced in pain, her eyes widening as they met the crimson glow from under the man’s long lashes. Her heart clenched suddenly.
Soon, this sharp, fine pain transformed into a thrilling numbness.
A rapidly intensifying pleasure suddenly took over her mind.
"Mmm!"
The sound she made was swallowed by his throat.
She could even feel the movement of his Adam’s apple.
Almost simultaneously, Zhong Yu arrived outside the door.
"Song Xu? Xiao Wen?"
In that instant, Wen Bairan was so nervous she stopped breathing.
Subconsciously clenching her legs, she suddenly felt as if something was about to break free.
The man in front of her frowned as if in pain or pleasure, biting down on her fiercely.
His teeth pierced the inside of her lip, and the pain brought tears to her eyes.
The floor-to-ceiling structure of the bathroom stall made sure no one outside could hear anything.
Unable to find anyone, Zhong Yu paused suspiciously in front of the sink where the water was still running, turned it off, and then walked out.
The moment her footsteps faded, Wen Bairan immediately exclaimed.
"Song Xu!"
She didn’t dare raise her voice, her whisper lost in the rapid, tightly exchanged breaths between them.
Song Xu leaned into her shoulder, his entire face buried in the crook of her neck.
Wen Bairan couldn’t see his expression, only hearing intermittent soft laughter.
Held back.
Even more like a jerk.
"I told you."
"You’re clenching too tight; I can’t move."
…